As is generally known, insulating glass units (IGUs) are used in window and door applications, and during cold weather, are effective in minimizing loss of heat there through from building interiors. An IGU is formed with a pair of glass sheets spaced apart via an interlayer that is positioned along the peripheries of the sheets. The interlayer, typically formed of a spacer (or spacer assembly) and sealant material, functions in creating a sealed interior space for the IGU, i.e., between the glass sheets. Particularly, the sealant material bonds the spacer to each of the sheets. In general, the margins of the glass sheets are positioned to be flush with or extend slightly outward from the spacer, and the sealant material is used to fill in the gaps there between (extending between the spacer and each of the sheets along their peripheries) so that the space created between the sheets (i.e., internal to the IGU) is hermetically sealed.
A spacer is typically formed of a sturdy yet flexible material (e.g., often metal, such as aluminum) of elongated length that is cut to size and bent into desired shape for an intended window assembly (e.g., IGU). The spacer has a frame structure, defining a longitudinal hollow channel along its length. In the case of the spacer being intended for an IGU, a desiccant is commonly provided within the channel of the spacer for absorbing atmospheric moisture that becomes trapped within the IGU (i.e., in the space created between the IGU's glass sheets). Conventionally, spacer manufacture (or formation) requires at least three operations: (1) cutting operation, (2) bending operation, and (3) connecting operation. In the cutting operation, a spacer work piece is cut to a requisite length. Subsequently, in the bending operation, the cut spacer work piece is bent along its length so as to form corners therein (most often, four corners), thereby defining a shape (most often, rectangular) warranted for an intended window assembly. Finally, the two opposing ends of the spacer frame are connected so as to form a closed loop for the spacer.
A drawback of some of the known approaches for manufacturing spacers has been lengthy fabrication time. For example, with some approaches, one or more of the formation steps are performed at separate areas on the factory floor, such that time is added to the overall process in collecting and shuttling the spacer material between the areas. In some cases, this can involve spacer work pieces being cut to size in one area, while the work pieces are bent and connected in another area. To that end, a plurality of different types and/or sizes of spacer work pieces may be cut in advance so as to be available as needed, e.g., for batch processing. However, this would warrant further time being added to the fabrication process, i.e., in locating the requisite spacer type/size needed for the job order.
Continuing with the assembly time for manufacturing spacers, the longest amount of time is often dedicated to the bending operation. For example, in many known processes, the bends are performed one at a time. For instance, for each spacer work piece, a portion of the work piece is often positioned in front of a tooling head, and then bent around the tooling head to form a corner therein. This process is then repeated in forming each corner. Furthermore, in many cases, portions of the spacer work pieces at which the corners are formed are often pre-formed (e.g., deformed or partially cut) so as to be better configured to be bent. While such pre-forming can help reduce the amount of stress at such spacer portions during corresponding bending operations (thereby minimizing risk of irregularities at such portions), it unfortunately also adds complexity and further time to the overall process, particularly if such pre-forming is conducted just prior to a bending operation.
A further drawback of known spacer manufacturing processes has involved the preparation time leading up to the formation of the spacers. Particularly, time is often needed to vary the assembly process each time differing types and/or sizes of spacer work pieces are used. For example, this often requires loading the differing size/type work pieces and/or changing out the tooling for appropriate bending of the work pieces.
Embodiments of the present invention are intended to the address the above-described challenges, as well as others, relating to spacer production.